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A Servant's Love

Our Mission

A Servant’s Love exists to serve income-challenged individuals and families, teach self-sufficiency through education and empower through enhanced life skills.

Our Inspiration

Our name, A Servant’s Love, signifies the essence of who we are and what we do. We are first and foremost, servants of God! We are inspired by our love of people and our desire to support our community.

Why We Serve

ASL strives to meet people where they are. It is our belief that until immediate needs are met, people cannot be taught how to move beyond life’s many hurdles. It is also our belief that people have an innate yearning to better themselves and to prosper. ASL believes the Chinese Proverb, “If we give a man a fish, he will eat for a day. If we teach a man to fish he will eat for a lifetime.” Self-sufficiency, thoughtfulness of others and managing life’s situations are a few of the skills taught through ASL’s programs. In our own way, we aspire to break the cycle of “Entitlement and Dependency.” Our efforts aim to empower individuals and families and encourage a spirit of ‘Paying It Forward."

The Story Behind A Servant’s Love

As the name, A Servant’s Love implies, founders Rod and Lisa Davis say, “They are servants of God and created ASL to help those in need.” When helping someone in need, the key thoughts to remember are: Most people will only ask for help if they have no other option . . . Treat everyone with respect and dignity; and Realize that at the blink of an eye, “This could be me!”

We love our community. We love helping others. We also love making a difference. After working in the nonprofit arena for several years, Lisa realized something was missing… follow-through.

Even though there are many wonderful programs to assist those in need, there are not many that provide assistance on a regular basis. “When someone is in need of food, receiving one box of food and then being sent on their way is only good for that moment.

"What happens when that food runs out and they are still in the same situation?”

According to Feeding America, Alabama ranks 4th on the list of food insecure states.

Live Better Mobile (2014) reports that 1 in 6 (19%) of people in Mobile County are food insecure, or do not know where their next meal is coming from - that's almost 70,000 people in our community. Senior citizens are especially hard hit, as nearly 13,000 Mobile County residents over the age of 55 have an annual household income of less than $15,000 (Decision Data Resources, 2011).

In the City of Mobile, 2975 grandparents are householders responsible for the care and upkeep of grandchildren living with them.

While contracted by a local nonprofit to develop a program targeting food provisions for income-challenged senior citizens, the Davis’ worked tirelessly and incorporated A Servant’s Love in October 2007. As Lisa and Rod continued serving in the community, they also continued developing the organization. ASL was later awarded its 501(c)(3) designation by the Internal Revenue Service in March 2010 and in April 2012, assumed sole ownership of the aforementioned program. After honing the program’s existing components, it is now known as the Senior Nutrition & Wellness Program (SNWP).

Since its inception, ASL has worked with the assistance of community partners and numerous volunteers to reduce food insecurity and promote healthy living. Food insecurity is defined as limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods. A Servant’s Love (ASL) serves nearly 1100 food insecure senior citizens and families annually through its 3 nutritional initiatives (Senior Nutrition & Wellness Program, Harvest-of-Hope Empowerment Garden and Holiday Giving).

Another priority, is educating residents on specific needs within their communities and offering suggestions on how they can be of assistance. ASL’s programs strive to serve immediate needs, build a relationship of trust, and incorporate a component of education while also encouraging self-sufficiency.

A Servant's Love: Accomplishments

Senior Nutrition & Wellness Program

Senior Nutrition & Wellness Program (SNWP) is a multifaceted program focused on providing senior citizens with hunger relief and healthy eating choices. SNWP provides nutritious food assistance to income-challenged senior citizens every month. Prequalified participants receive nutritious non-perishable food items and fresh fruits and vegetables. Meats and fresh eggs are provided when available. Household supplies such as bathroom tissue and other paper products are also given each month. This program provides each of its 200 senior participants with a source of food security that they may not otherwise experience. To qualify and receive assistance through SNWP, individuals must meet the USDA established guidelines for poverty and must also be 60 years of age or older. Some of our seniors live alone, some are raising their grandchildren, grand-nieces/nephews, and several live in multi-generational households.

GOALS:

Provide food security where there is little or none.

Decrease the need for income-challenged senior citizens in Mobile County to choose between food, medication, and utilities.

Provide a sense of self-worth to older adults who may have trouble asking for assistance.

Increase the ability of Senior Citizens to remain healthy and live independently.

Learn More About SNWP

OBJECTIVE:

Provide a monthly distribution to program participants.

Provide Senior Citizens with nutritional information on the fresh fruits and vegetables they receive.

Provide a positive financial impact to offset the cost of eating healthy foods.

Provide a means by which participants receive assistance in a respectful manner.

Harvest-Of-Hope (HOH) Empowerment Garden

The Harvest-of-Hope Empowerment Garden (HOH) sits on 2 acres of land designated to support ASL and its programs. HOH is a teaching ground that encourages community members of all ages and abilities, to work as a team to plant, grow and harvest crops with, and for those in need. Use of the land has been donated by a local church. Interested individuals and families can learn and teach the art of gardening in large and small spaces, as well as in containers. As vegetables are harvested, some are used to support ASL’s Senior Nutrition & Wellness Program, while others are shared within the community. ASL partners with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, utilizing the expertise of their Regional Horticulturist, while also receiving expertise from other local gardeners. All of these efforts are geared towards serving our community through sharing, teaching useful skills, and empowering to put these skills to use and provide for their families and loved ones.

Goals:

Provide a source of fresh, nutritious foods for income-challenged individuals an families.

Decrease the need for income-challenged senior citizens in Mobile County to choose between food, medication and utilities.

Learn More About HOH

Objectives:

Provide space and tools for individuals and families to learn the skills of gardening.

Volunteer

We would not be able to do what we do without our Volunteers.

Volunteers of all ages and abilities are welcome to assist with ASL’s programs. To date, our youngest volunteer was 3 years old, and our most mature volunteer was 93.

Although several of our volunteer opportunities require good physical abilities, we always have needs that are less physically demanding. No one is left out or excluded. ASL's programs are community-based and volunteer-focused. Our volunteers make up a large portion of our "Team" and are all greatly appreciated!

Each of our programs list the volunteer assistance needed. Consider your interests and abilities, then complete the volunteer application. Once completed and submitted, you will be contacted and plugged in as an appreciated ASL Volunteer.

Words of Wisdom

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

We ask that you please donate items in plastic containers rather than glass for the safety of our volunteers and recipients.

If you're not sure, just ask . . . your donations could be tax deductible. A Servant's Love is a 501 (c)(3) organization.

Donate Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

“Calling All Gardeners and Farmers”… If you have excess and would like to share with others, please let us know. We have hundreds of Senior Citizens in our programs and on our waiting list that cannot afford to purchase ‘fresh’ and would greatly appreciate the gift.

Our Generous Donors

ASL Community Partners

While providing food security and assistance within Mobile County communities, ASL continues to develop key partnerships and collaborations with other professionals and interested parties. ASL works to cultivate partnerships that support food drives with local schools, donations of boxes to pack the food and volunteers who support our mission and efforts, and help spread the word about our work.

If you are interested in partnering with A Servant's Love, please contact us.